Certainly a good way to impress that chick in a yukata you were talking to during the Gion matsuri.

… well, not really…

I am afraid being accurate in naming all the streets of central Kyoto from Marutamachi to Kyoto station won’t get you a phone number… it might get you a giggle though.
In fact, you will impress a Kyoto chick with this as much as your mentioning of all the characters of your Naruto or Pokemon or whatever anime it is that you are watching at the moment…

No amigo… in fact it doesn’t really have any other practical use outside of impressing other fellow foreigners who you will actually obliterate under your mighty pub ammo as in shut-up-I-know-everything-about-Kyoto-and-you-don’t and maybe earning you some respect out from that obachan at the store who thought you were just another tourist on your way back to Kansai airport.

So here it is. How do Kyoto people learn all the street names running from East to West starting from Marutamachi to Kyoto station:

They learn it at primary school.

With a song.

A children’s song.

A song called “Maru-Take-Ebisu” and which belongs to a group of songs known as “warabeuta” (童歌) which are taught to most Japanese children and, surprisingly (I thought they wouldn’t but they do) many Kyoto people do actually know the song or are at least familiar with it. By the way, this one is only “compulsory” taught in Kyoto so do be surprised if some other Japanese knows the whole lyrics.

First of all, a video which will serve me for illustration purposes:

Ah… pretty, isn’t it ?

And the important part. The lyrics:

Maru

Marutamachi-dori

丸田町通 (The Imperial Palace here)

Take

Takeyamachi-dori

竹屋町通

Ebisu

Ebisugawa-dori

夷川通

Ni

Nijo-dori

二条通 (Nijo castle is on this street)

Oshi

Oshikoji-dori

押小路通

Oike

Oike-dori

御池通

Ane

Aneyakoji-dori

姉小路通

San

Sanjo-dori

三条通

Rokkaku

Rokkaku-dori

六角通

Tako

Takoyakushi-dori

蛸薬師通

Nishiki

Nishikikoji-dori

錦小路通

Shi

Shijo-dori

四条通

Aya

Ayanoko-dori

綾小路通

Butsu

Bukkoji-dori

仏光寺通

Taka

Takatsuji-dori

高辻通

Matsu

Matsubara-dori

松原通

Man

Manjuji-dori

万寿寺通

Gojo

Gojo-dori

五条通

Sekida

Sekidayamachi-dori

雪駄屋町通 (as in Japanese sandals or “setta”. There used to be many setta makers on this street)

And yes, if you already knew this one is because you are a Kyoto pro (and I bow before thee), or you were born in Kyoto, or… more likely… you remember this song as it was featured on “Detective Conan”:

tamariko79 I would like to exchange links with your site miyakostyle.com
Is this possible?...

malexsey it was very interesting to read miyakostyle.com
I want to quote your post in my blog...

Oideyasu amigo!

Welcome to Miyako Style
The insiders' guide to Kyoto

If you live, studied, lived in Kyoto or if you already made your way through Kyoto's temples and landmarks, experienced some of its festivals and you found it an unforgettable experience, then this is the right place for you. This is a trove full of everything you want to know about the capital of traditional Japan that you will hardly find in the guide books. This is mostly word-of-mouth information of Kyoto gathered and archived in one single website.
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